where is the information stored in dna? course hero

Where are genetic instructions stored in the cell?

These instructions are stored inside each of your cells, distributed among 46 long structures called chromosomes. These chromosomes are made up of thousands of shorter segments of DNA, called genes. Each gene stores the directions for making protein fragments, whole proteins, or multiple specific proteins.

How does the flow of genetic information occur in all cells?

In all cells, the flow of genetic information is from DNA à RNA à proteins. Explain how this differs from viruses (which are not considered cells) like HIV. In a virus like HIV, the virus will make DNA from its RNA and then proceed through a path familiar to our own (DNA à RNA à Protein).

What is the function of a DNA gene?

A gene is a specific section of DNA that contains the instructions to make a protein. If all molecules of DNA contain a phosphate group, a deoxyribose, and a base, propose an explanation for how the information to make a protein is coded within the DNA molecule.

How many bases of DNA are in human DNA?

Human DNA consists of about 3 billion bases, and more than 99 percent of those bases are the same in all people. The order, or sequence, of these bases determines the information available for building and maintaining an organism, similar to the way in which letters of the alphabet appear in a certain order to form words and sentences.

How to understand the biological function of DNA?

The molecular structure of DNA. In order to understand the biological function of DNA, you first need to understand its molecular structure. This requires learning the vocabulary for talking about the building blocks of DNA, and how these building blocks are assembled to make DNA molecules.

Which direction does DNA run in?

One strand runs in a 3' to 5' direction while the other runs in a 5' to 3' direction . The nucleotides forming each DNA strand are connected by noncovalent bonds, called hydrogen bonds. Considered individually, hydrogen bonds are much weaker than a single covalent bond, such as a phosphodiester bond.

How many nucleotides are in a codon?

A codon is a segment (or piece) of double stranded DNA that is three nucleotides long. A gene can be thought of as many three-nucleotide codons strung together. Image showing how each gene is made up codons (aka the A, T, G, and C bases).

What is the name of the bond between atoms in DNA?

The nucleotide monomers in a DNA polymer are connected by strong electromagnetic attractions called phosphodiester bonds. Phosphodiester bonds are part of a larger class of electromagnetic attractions between atoms that chemists refer to as covalent bonds.

How many letters are in the DNA alphabet?

The English language has a 26 letter alphabet. In contrast, the DNA “alphabet” has only four “letters,” the four nucleotide monomers. They have short and easy to remember names: A, C, T, G. Each nucleotide monomer is built from three simple molecular parts: a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nucleobase.

How does dehydration synthesis work?

Each time nucleotides are bound together, a water molecule is removed (or “lost”) through a process called dehydration synthesis. Many molecules rely on dehydration synthesis to assist with forming polymers. A diagram showing how dehydration synthesis is used to make a string of DNA.

Why is DNA suited to perform this biological function?

DNA is well-suited to perform this biological function because of its molecular structure, and because of the development of a series of high performance enzymes that are fine-tuned to interact with this molecular structure in specific ways. The match between DNA structure and the activities of these enzymes is so effective and well-refined ...

Why do we heat DNA?

Heating the D NA allows the double helix to be unwound. Cooling allows the double helix to reform. A brand new graduate student in biology is running a PCR experiment. After the PCR is running on the thermal cycler, he realizes that he forgot to add the free nucleotides.

Why is the diagram of DNA replication not accurate?

The diagram is not accurate because it suggests that after replication, you end with entirely new and original DNA molecules.

What are the steps of transcription?

List the following steps of transcription in order: RNA polymerase makes RNA; mRNA leaves the nucleus; RNA polymerase binds the promoter; RNA splicing. RNA polymerase binds the promoter, RNA polymerase makes RNA, RNA splicing, and mRNA leaves the nucleus.

What is the terminator of a gene?

True or false: The terminator is the sequence of DNA in front of the gene that tells the RNA polymerase where to begin transcription. If false, make it a correct statement. False, the terminator is the sequence of DNA at the end of the gene that tells the RNA polymerase to stop transcription.

Why is mRNA a good name?

mRNA is a good name because it contains the "message," or code, for how to make a protein, and transfers it from the nucleus to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm.

How does a virus make DNA?

When a virus of this type takes over a host cell, it makes DNA from its RNA. The viral DNA is then used to make an RNA copy, which is used to make viral proteins. In all cells, the flow of genetic information is from DNA à RNA à proteins. Explain how this differs from viruses (which are not considered cells) like HIV.

What are the steps of DNA replication?

Place the following steps of DNA replication in the proper order: DNA fragments are fused together; double helix is pulled apart; new strands of DNA are synthesized. Double helix is pulled apart, new strands of DNA are synthesized, and DNA fragments are fused together .

What is DNA in biology?

Learn more. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA.

Why is DNA important?

An important property of DNA is that it can replicate, or make copies of itself. Each strand of DNA in the double helix can serve as a pattern for duplicating the sequence of bases. This is critical when cells divide because each new cell needs to have an exact copy of the DNA present in the old cell.

How many bases are there in DNA?

The information in DNA is stored as a code made up of four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). Human DNA consists of about 3 billion bases, and more than 99 percent of those bases are the same in all people.

What are the bases of DNA called?

DNA bases pair up with each other, A with T and C with G, to form units called base pairs. Each base is also attached to a sugar molecule and a phosphate molecule. Together, a base, sugar, and phosphate are called a nucleotide. Nucleotides are arranged in two long strands that form a spiral called a double helix.

What is the order of DNA bases?

The order, or sequence, of these bases determines the information available for building and maintaining an organism, similar to the way in which letters of the alphabet appear in a certain order to form words and sentences. DNA bases pair up with each other, A with T and C with G, to form units called base pairs.

What is the structure of a nucleotide?

Nucleotides are arranged in two long strands that form a spiral called a double helix. The structure of the double helix is somewhat like a ladder, with the base pairs forming the ladder’s rungs and the sugar and phosphate molecules forming the vertical sidepieces of the ladder.

When DNA is replicated, what happens to the DNA?

When a DNA string is replicated, the double strand is unwound, and at the same time a complementary strand is constructed on each separate one, so that, eventually, there are two new double strands identical to the original one. As can be seen in Figure 17, A is complementary to T, and C to G.

Why is it important to know the exact sequence of the individual building blocks?

The exact sequence of the individual building blocks is extremely important for living organisms, so that the instructions must be in written form. This requires a coding system as well as the necessary equipment which can decode the information and carry out the instructions for the synthesis.

How many amino acids are in a protein?

The basic building blocks of living beings are the proteins, which consist of only 20 different amino acids. These acids have to be arranged in a very definite sequence for every protein. There are inconceivably many possible chains consisting of 20 amino acids in arbitrary sequences, but only some very special sequences are meaningful in the sense that they provide the proteins which are required for life functions. These proteins are used by and built into the organism, serving as building materials, reserves, bearers of energy, and working and transport substances. They are the basic substances comprising the material parts of living organisms and they include such important compounds as enzymes, anti-bodies, blood pigments, and hormones. Every organ and every kind of life has its own specific proteins and there are about 50,000 different proteins in the human body, each of which performs important functions. Their structure as well as the relevant “chemical factories” in the cells have to be encoded in such a way that protein synthesis can proceed optimally, combining the correct quantities of the required substances.

What are the requirements to select the best amino acid code?

If we now want to select the best code, the following requirements should be met: —The storage space in a cell must be a minimum so that the code should economize on the required material. The more letters required for each amino acid, the more material is required, as well as more storage space.

What is the function of insulin?

Insulin is an essential hormone, its main function being to maintain the normal sugar content of the blood at 3.9 to 6.4 mmol/l (70–115 mg/dl). In each field of Figure 19, the number of possible combinations for the different words appears in the top left corner.

Which chapter of the Theorems of the Impossibility Theorems states that the information

In accordance with the theorems formulated in chapters 3 to 5 , in particular the impossibility theorems at the end of chapter 4, it is clear that the information present in living organisms requires an intelligent source.

Is information necessary for life?

Although information is essential for life, information alone does not at all comprise a complete description of life. Man is undoubtedly the most complex information-processing system existing on earth. The total number of bits handled daily in all information-processing events occurring in the human body is 3 x 10 24.